Remove misgivings regarding GM crops, says Pawar
February 17th, 2010 - 5:15 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) Double your efforts to remove all misgivings regarding genetically modified (GM) crops from the minds of policy-makers and the public, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told scientists here Wednesday.
Inaugurating the two-day conference of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities and meeting of directors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) here, Pawar said: “The recent decision on Bt Brinjal should not be seen as a setback to our efforts, but a challenge which we need to surmount.”
In a strongest possible defence of genetically modified crops, Pawar took a position diametrically opposite to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, who put a moratorium on commercial release of Bt Brinjal pending more tests.
“Conventional technologies of agriculture are inadequate to meet the formidable challenges. The most compelling case for bio-technology, and more specifically transgenic crops, is their capability to increase crop productivity, lower production costs, conserve bio-diversity, efficient use of external inputs, and improvement of economic and social benefits and alleviation of abject poverty in poor and developing countries,” the minister said.
- Pawar bats for GM crops to meet food security (Lead) - Feb 17, 2010
- Pawar urges scientists to remove all misgivings regarding GM crops - Feb 17, 2010
- Decision on Bt. Brinjal not influenced by NGOs: Jairam (Second Lead) - Feb 26, 2012
- Bt.Brinjal decision not influenced by NGOs, asserts Jairam (Lead) - Feb 26, 2012
- Decision on Bt. Brinjal not influenced by NGOs: Jairam - Feb 25, 2012
- Prime Minister to discuss Bt-brinjal issue - Feb 24, 2010
- Bt Brinjal moratorium disheartened scientific community: Pawar - May 13, 2010
- Canadian Indian scientist pats Ramesh on Bt Brinjal, smells conspiracy - Feb 15, 2010
- Explained: The ruckus over Bt Brinjal - Jan 30, 2010
- Lift curbs on research in biotech crops: Scientists - Feb 28, 2012
- India is sharply divided over introduction of Bt Brinjal - Feb 09, 2010
- Uncommon furore over common brinjal - Feb 09, 2010
- No question of lifting moratorium on Bt Brinjal: Ramesh - Sep 27, 2010
- Bt Brinjal moratorium to stay: Ramesh - Feb 24, 2010
- 'Ban on Bt brinjal hurting Indian scientists' - Jan 26, 2011
Tags: abject poverty, agricultural universities, agriculture minister, alleviation, bio diversity, bio technology, brinjal, conventional technologies, crop productivity, efficient use, environment minister, external inputs, gm crops, indian council of agricultural research, jairam ramesh, misgivings, moratorium, sharad pawar, transgenic crops, vice chancellors